Oxymoronic announcements

[Chris M]

A couple of years ago at Weymouth, "Please stand back from the platform edge as the approaching train is not scheduled to stop here".

I've seen that one quite a few times. Most often at the DC line bays at Reading.

That's it though- if the other set was going to Hull for example, it'd make sense to tell passengers. Nobody needs to know it's going to the depot, and the ECS move should really be a separate "service" for want of a better word, so shouldn't be finding it's way onto a passenger-facing system.

I think it was at Newcastle where the digital displays were showing a DMU in one of the bay platforms as "Empty coaching stock". Now I know what that means, but does the average passenger?

"I remember seeing on the screens in Leeds a Sheffield via Castleford service only for the row below to show 'above service not calling at Castleford today'

Not an announcement but I do have a ticket in my collection from Bristol to "Richmond (London)" with route "not London"

"There is currently no service between Romford and Upminster due to a faulty train. There is a good service on the rest of the line"

I once heard at Bank "London Overground is part suspended." with no further information given. It turned out that it was suspended between Romford and Upminster with a good service everywhere else - which was fortunate as I was heading for somewhere on the Watford DC (I can't remember where exactly).

On several occasions I've heard that announcement at Arlesey only for nothing to pass through.

I was once at Swindon early one Sunday evening when there was a manual announcement that a "steam train" would be passing through "at speed" in about 2 minutes. The next train was actually a HST about 15 minutes later that stopped as usual.

Back on topic: another gem in the ScotRail announcements are the "This train terminates here" announcements heard often at Glasgow Central. What do they expect the train to do, become a road train and drive on up Hope Street?

That's not exclusive to ScotRail - it's normal on GWR into Paddington and the DLR into the high level platforms at Stratford.

Not long ago I’m pretty sure I saw on the TfL status board that the Waterloo & City line was Part Suspended

This can be correct! If there is a problem on one of the platforms at Waterloo the trains will run normally in one direction but empty in the other, so it's suspended e.g. westbound only.

One of my favourite announcements is on the GWR express services from Paddington on which the first stop is Reading, where it advises passengers to change for Gatwick Airport. Because if you were in London and were going to catch your flight from Gatwick, the first thing you'd obviously do is head to Paddington and get on a train whose first stop is 40 miles west of the capital and much further away from your destination airport than where you started your journey.

I have a very dyslexic friend who was attempting to get from Swindon to Bexhill avoiding London. All was fine until Reading, where he needed a train to Redhill but got on one going to Redruth instead - first stop Taunton.

"Please use all availble doors when boarding this service, I can only use one!"

Several times I've heard automated "please use the full length of the platform" announcements when I've been the only person waiting! Euston Victoria line is common for this.

 

[Dr_Paul]

At the risk of straying off the railway, for a few weeks earlier this year buses in London had an announcement imploring passengers to hold on tight because the bus was about to move off; in most instances the bus was well on its way to the next stop when the announcement was made.

 

[Parallel]

At Cardiff Central you sometimes get "The train now approaching platform 1" when the train has already been sat there for a few minutes. You also sometimes get "Please board the train now as it is ready to leave" when the train is approaching the station, or if it has already left

One thing that annoys me with GWR is that the system doesn't know that it's just a two-line track through Bath so thinks the following London Paddington train will be the 'next train to arrive' if the preceding Weymouth/Westbury local is running a few minutes late. People get terribly confused hearing "The next train to arrive at Platform 2 is the xx:13 service to London Paddington" as a two-car 150 rolls in

 

[Nicholas43]

One thing that annoys me with GWR is that they never "chain" predictions within one diagram. So this morning at Radley we had:
0614 Didcot Pl 2 expected 0627 [2L09]
0638 Banbury Pl 1 on time [2M08]

Impossible, because there is not going to be a spare set and driver at Didcot. The 0614 needs at least 8 minutes to get to Didcot, 5 minutes for the driver to change ends etc, and 9 minutes to get back to Radley.

The "on time" lie persisted until 0729, when 2M08 is due to depart from Didcot. The fake prediction then mindlessly clicked on 1 minute per minute, and didn't become a real prediction until 0640, when it actually departed.

 

[DavidGrain]

I think the answer for terminating trains to to go back to announcing "The next train on Platform 1 terminates here". this avoids saying that the train does not stop here when it obviously does because of the buffers and will also cover trains terminating at a through platform. It should also prevent people attempting to board the train unless it an outbound journey can be announced.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

One thing that annoys me with GWR is that they never "chain" predictions within one diagram. So this morning at Radley we had:
0614 Didcot Pl 2 expected 0627 [2L09]
0638 Banbury Pl 1 on time [2M08]

Impossible, because there is not going to be a spare set and driver at Didcot. The 0614 needs at least 8 minutes to get to Didcot, 5 minutes for the driver to change ends etc, and 9 minutes to get back to Radley.

The "on time" lie persisted until 0729, when 2M08 is due to depart from Didcot. The fake prediction then mindlessly clicked on 1 minute per minute, and didn't become a real prediction until 0640, when it actually departed.

Yes! That is irritating! Alright when you know the diagrams but joe public wouldn't know. Saw that on the Felixstowe branch last week, train to Felixstowe was running late, but the return run was expected to be on time. Impossible as it was at Trimley when it should have been ready to leave Felixstowe.

On the same day, Ipswich was stuffed for a bit due to a points failure, then a couple of Londons got cancelled, but the announements reckoned everything marked delayed would be arriving in one minute!!

However, best one was:

"The 13:xx (cant remember the time it was booked) Greater Anglia service to London Liverpool Street has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems. This train will arrive in one minute."

 

[700007]

There was one time where somehow the Waterloo and City line was part suspended last year. Not too sure how that works!

 

[hexagon789]

At the risk of straying off the railway, for a few weeks earlier this year buses in London had an announcement imploring passengers to hold on tight because the bus was about to move off; in most instances the bus was well on its way to the next stop when the announcement was made.

I heard about that, thankfully "please hold on, the bus is about to move" announcements have not yet reached the buses of Glasgow!

 

[hexagon789]

However, best one was:

"The 13:xx (cant remember the time it was booked) Greater Anglia service to London Liverpool Street has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems. This train will arrive in one minute."

I've heard similar up here before. waiting for a train at my local station but sort of the opposite to your announcement. The P. I. S. said the next train was cancelled but the train turned up as scheduled and the announcements were unaffected, just the information display.

 

[700007]

There's also a glitch on some of the Croydon trams that say 'This tram is for Wimbledon. The next stop will be Mitcham Junction, where this tram will terminate'. Has happened the last few times I have been past there and I am not too sure why.

 

[DavidGrain]

On the Midland Metro there is an announcement 'Hold tight. This tram is about to depart', My parents would have been tut-tutting about this as it should be 'Hold tightly'. A 'please' would also have been appreciated.

 

[Loop & Link]

One thing that annoys me with GWR is that they never "chain" predictions within one diagram. So this morning at Radley we had:
0614 Didcot Pl 2 expected 0627 [2L09]
0638 Banbury Pl 1 on time [2M08]

Impossible, because there is not going to be a spare set and driver at Didcot. The 0614 needs at least 8 minutes to get to Didcot, 5 minutes for the driver to change ends etc, and 9 minutes to get back to Radley.

The "on time" lie persisted until 0729, when 2M08 is due to depart from Didcot. The fake prediction then mindlessly clicked on 1 minute per minute, and didn't become a real prediction until 0640, when it actually departed.

Not a “lie” as such, but it may be an issue with no association, so just the CIS system doesn’t realise the Banbury train is associated with the arrival from Didcot, way around that, is too page the delay through Tyrell, or go into CIS and manually input the delay.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

Just spotted this at Huddersfield. Apparently the cancelled 1650 service has 3 carriages...
View attachment 43570
The top row shows the service with the departure time replaced with 'cancelled'. The 2nd row has the calling points scrolling, followed by 'This train has 3 carriages'
Any other examples of contradictory announcements and displays?

On Thursday, I think it was displaying 5 coaches on the 6.50 via Brighouse to Leeds.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

I was once at Swindon early one Sunday evening when there was a manual announcement that a "steam train" would be passing through "at speed" in about 2 minutes. The next train was actually a HST about 15 minutes later that stopped as usual.

Had the "Steam Train" evaporated?

 

[Andrew Nelson]

Just spotted this at Huddersfield. Apparently the cancelled 1650 service has 3 carriages...
View attachment 43570
The top row shows the service with the departure time replaced with 'cancelled'. The 2nd row has the calling points scrolling, followed by 'This train has 3 carriages'
Any other examples of contradictory announcements and displays?

What Platform BTW?

 

[Andrew Nelson]

And, for a long time, platform 4 at Didcot would announce a service after it had left the station.

We get that quite often at Kirkgate.

 

[Chris M]

There was one time where somehow the Waterloo and City line was part suspended last year. Not too sure how that works!

It can be suspended in one direction only when there is a problem with one of the platforms at Waterloo (or the access to them). The trains just run empty in the other direction.

 

[DavidGrain]

It can be suspended in one direction only when there is a problem with one of the platforms at Waterloo (or the access to them). The trains just run empty in the other direction.

Thanks for that I did not understand how thatshort line could run in one direction only

 

[61653 HTAFC]

On Thursday, I think it was displaying 5 coaches on the 6.50 via Brighouse to Leeds.

At P6?
Guess it might hold 5x 14x at a stretch.

What Platform BTW?

The photo in the OP appears to be of the boards at the bufferstops of platform 6, also where Leeds via Bradford leave from 90% of the time.

 

[sefton]

On the Midland Metro there is an announcement 'Hold tight. This tram is about to depart', My parents would have been tut-tutting about this as it should be 'Hold tightly'. A 'please' would also have been appreciated.

It is an instruction not a request so "please" is not required.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

At P6?
Guess it might hold 5x 14x at a stretch.


The photo in the OP appears to be of the boards at the bufferstops of platform 6, also where Leeds via Bradford leave from 90% of the time.

P6 can only hold 3.
And P5 only 2.

 

[Nicholas43]

Not a “lie” as such, but it may be an issue with no association, so just the CIS system doesn’t realise the Banbury train is associated with the arrival from Didcot, way around that, is too page the delay through Tyrell, or go into CIS and manually input the delay.

Thanks for this insight. I don't know what Tyrell is; would I be right in guessing it's an interface for staff to input information to Darwin? Also, who would be responsible for getting the two services associated, so that human intervention is not (normally) required?

 

[Loop & Link]

Thanks for this insight. I don't know what Tyrell is; would I be right in guessing it's an interface for staff to input information to Darwin? Also, who would be responsible for getting the two services associated, so that human intervention is not (normally) required?

It’s the software we use, that send out the type of messages you get on Journeycheck and can also update CIS. You can manually associate trains on CIS, (eg: the trains next work as mentioned) and all this can usually be done by Milton Keynes Network Rail planning by putting this in the timetable in the first place.

 

[Chris M]

Thanks for that I did not understand how thatshort line could run in one direction only

The platforms at Bank are effectively two sides of an island platform (although there is a wall down the middle there are archways through it) and they share an access, so if one has to close they both have to close and the line is suspended.
At Waterloo however, there are separate arrivals and departures platforms with completely separate access (they are on the outside of the lines). Services from Bank are detrained in the arrivals platform, then the train runs forward to the depot where the driver changes ends before pulling in to the departure platform where passengers board.
See http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/metro-tram-london/index.php?station=waterloo

 

[infobleep]

Going a bit off-topic now, but for the best pointless online content, look at the "Key" on the National Rail live departures and arrivals:

Key
Delayed
This service is delayed

No report
There is no report on the progress of this service yet

Cancelled
The service has been cancelled

On time
This service is on time


What would I have done without that key to explain what the comments meant?

Well actually that is lacking. They also need to add the following:

Under delayed
In some circumstances this train may actually be cancelled. This is likely to occur during server disruption but many occasionally occur at other times

Under no report
In some circumstances there may never be a report on its progress

Under on time
In some ciecucircumsta, usually server disruption, the train maybe showing as on time when it fact it's been cancelled

I don't think there are any circumstances for cancelled.

I guess they could also add the following:

If some stops are cancelled due to late running you may see a notice apologising for the cancellation of the train. Rest assured only the stops listed as cancelled are cancelled, not the whole service. In other cases you may see a notice apologising for the delay. In that case the stops will also be cancelled as shown.

 

[infobleep]

I forgot to add to my previous message another explanation.

Under the key item delayed
In some regular circumstances a train may show as delayed until it departs on time. Should this occur is is very likelt it will always ocur for that service in the furfue, except for the times when it really is delayed. Under those circumstances it will not depart on time but late. Alternatively it may show delayed when it is in fact cancelled.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

Here's a doozy:

Last night at Huddersfield we had: Front 3 to Leeds and Garforth (Not York for some reason).
Rear 6 For Leeds, Garforth, York, > Newcastle.

Only a 6 car Train?

 

[DavidGrain]

The platforms at Bank are effectively two sides of an island platform (although there is a wall down the middle there are archways through it) and they share an access, so if one has to close they both have to close and the line is suspended.
At Waterloo however, there are separate arrivals and departures platforms with completely separate access (they are on the outside of the lines). Services from Bank are detrained in the arrivals platform, then the train runs forward to the depot where the driver changes ends before pulling in to the departure platform where passengers board.
See http://carto.metro.free.fr/cartes/metro-tram-london/index.php?station=waterloo

Thanks for the link to that French website. It is very useful to me in a number of ways.
I think you have confused me even more as what you are saying is that on 'the Drain' they can close Bank platforms but keep Waterloo platforms open.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

P6 can only hold 3.
And P5 only 2.

P6 can hold at least 4 Pacer cars. But yes, max. 3 23m.
P5 isn't even as simple as saying it holds 2 cars: it'll hold a 2-car 150 or Pacer but only 1 23m vehicle.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

P6 can hold at least 4 Pacer cars. But yes, max. 3 23m.
P5 isn't even as simple as saying it holds 2 cars: it'll hold a 2-car 150 or Pacer but only 1 23m vehicle.

Am I correct in thinking they were longer at one time?